Perth Observatory
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The Perth Observatory is the name of two astronomical
observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
located in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
(WA). In 1896, the original observatory was founded in West Perth on Mount Eliza overlooking the city of
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
(obs. code 319). Due to the city's expansion, the observatory moved to
Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead, London, Elmstead to the north, Chis ...
in 1965. The new Perth Observatory is sometimes referred to as Bickley Observatory (obs. code
322 __NOTOC__ Year 322 ( CCCXXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probianus and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1075 ' ...
, 323).


History


First Perth Observatory

The original Perth Observatory was constructed in 1896 and was officially opened in 1900 by
John Forrest Sir John Forrest (22 August 1847 – 2 SeptemberSome sources give the date as 3 September 1918 1918) was an Australian explorer and politician. He was the first premier of Western Australia (1890–1901) and a long-serving cabinet minister i ...
, the first
premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive bra ...
. The observatory was located at Mount Eliza overlooking the city of
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. Its chief roles were keeping
Standard Time Standard time is the synchronisation of clocks within a geographical region to a single time standard, rather than a local mean time standard. Generally, standard time agrees with the local mean time at some meridian that passes through the r ...
for Western Australia and meteorological data collection. The observatory dome was demolished in the 1960s to make way for
Dumas House Dumas House is a fourteen-storey office building constructed in Perth, Western Australia, during the 1960s. The building is located close to St Georges Terrace, Kings Park, and Parliament House. Background Dumas House was part of the 1955 pl ...
, after the Observatory of the city was relocated elsewhere. The house of the chief astronomer of the old observatory remains today, the current tenant is the National Trust.


WA Government Astronomers


William Ernest Cooke

William Ernest Cooke William Ernest Cooke (25 July 1863 – 7 November 1947), generally referred to as W. Ernest Cooke or informally Ernest Cooke, was an Australian astronomer, credited with a number of important scientific breakthroughs and improved methodologies i ...
was appointed the first Western Australian Government Astronomer in 1896 after a similar posting at the
Adelaide Observatory The Heights Observatory is an Astronomical Observatory at The Heights School in Modbury Heights, Adelaide, South Australia. It is sometimes known as the Adelaide Observatory, but it is not to be confused with the observatory formerly establi ...
. On arrival in Perth, his first task was to determine the exact latitude and longitude of the colony. He was also able to determine the time of day with greater accuracy. Before his arrival clocks could vary by up to half an hour. The
time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
was announced each day by a cannon still present on the grounds. The design was by the government architect,
George Temple-Poole George Thomas Temple-Poole (born George Thomas Temple, 29 May 1856 – 27 February 1934) was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1885. As Superintendent of Public Works, and then Pri ...
, and features a bold combination of styles.


Harold Burnham Curlewis

Cooke's successor as Government Astronomer was
Harold Curlewis Harold Burnham Curlewis (6 October 1875 – 8 June 1968) was an Australian astronomer. He was Acting Government Astronomer and Meteorologist in Western Australia from 1912 until his appointment as Government Astronomer in 1920. He held that pos ...
who wrote in 1929:
Since the prevailing winds blow over the huge extent of King's Park, its excellence for astronomical work is not impaired by its proximity to the city, as is so often the case with other observatories. ...A glance from the tower, from which a wonderful panorama of Perth may be obtained, shows that no growth of the city can ever adversely affect observing conditions


=Curlewis and the WA border

= In 1920 and 1921 Curlewis was involved with the Government Astronomer of South Australia, Dodwell, in determinations to fix positions for marking of the West Australian border on the ground with the South Australian border at
Deakin, Western Australia Deakin is a remote locality and is the last railway siding in Western Australia on the Trans-Australian Railway, and the closest to the border of Western Australia and South Australia, which is the 129th meridian east. Deakin is important in the ...
. In 1921 the same group from the Deakin determinations travelled by the State Ship, MV ''Bambra'' to Wyndham, where they were guided by M.P. Durack to a point on Rosewood station near
Argyle Downs Argyle Downs is a pastoral lease and cattle station located about south east of Kununurra in the Kimberley region near the border of Western Australia and Northern Territory. It is operated by the Consolidated Pastoral Company. Descript ...
close to the 129th meridian east
longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...
(129° east). They used the relatively new technology of the day, wireless radio time signals, and other methods to fix a position for the Northern Territory border with Western Australia. These early determinations led to the 1968 agreement for the formation of
Surveyor Generals Corner Surveyor Generals Corner (or Surveyor-Generals Corner) is a remote point where the Australian state boundaries of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory meet. These boundaries meet at the easternmost point of the appro ...
. The WA border is not straight ''(see
Western Australia border The land border of the state of Western Australia (WA) bisects mainland Australia, nominally along 129th meridian east longitude (129° East). That land border divides WA from the Northern Territory (NT) and South Australia (SA). However, for v ...
)''; at the 26th parallel south (26° south) there is an approximately "sideways" section of the WA/NT border, which runs east–west.


Hyman Solomon Spigl

Curlewis's successor as Government Astronomer was Hyman Solomon Spigl between 1940 and 1962. Spigl, who was from a surveying background, progressed rebuilding a post war ravaged Observatory by rejuvenating the time service, seismology services, completing the Astrographic Catalogues, became involved in the
International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; french: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific ...
by installing a Markowitz Moon camera and restarted the publications for the Royal Astronomical Society. Additionally, through a National Science Foundation of America grant, he was in the process of refurbishing the Observatory's meridian transit circle to recommence meridian observations. While he never achieved this before his death, and it was never used again, the instrument sits in the foyer of the Perth Observatory now fully refurbished. In 1958 Spigl was awarded a Gledden Travelling Fellowship by the
University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
; Spigl spent 12 months travelling in the US, UK and Europe. Spigl was actively searching for a new site for the Perth Observatory as a result of the decision for it to be relocated as an outcome of the implementation of the 1955 Stephenson-Hepburn Report. Spigl spent many years lecturing in surveying at the University of Western Australia and was involved in the Astronomical Society of Western Australia.


John Bertrand Harris

Upon the death of Spigl on 20 August 1962, John Bertrand Harris, who had been Spigl's assistant since 1957, became the fourth Government Astronomer of the Perth Observatory between 1962 until the end of 1974. Harris had to step in to the position of Government Astronomer at a time when the Perth Observatory was on the move to its new site in the Darling Range,
Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead, London, Elmstead to the north, Chis ...
, some east of its original position in the City of
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. Clearing of the land in the State Forrest in Bickely commenced in February 1964, with excavations commencing in May 1964 and construction works on buildings continuing through 1965; staff moved in on 19 December 1965. With the new Bickely site complete, in 1967, Harris oversaw the installation of a
meridian circle The meridian circle is an instrument for timing of the passage of stars across the local meridian, an event known as a culmination, while at the same time measuring their angular distance from the nadir. These are special purpose telescopes moun ...
telescope at the Observatory as part of an expedition by
astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
s from the Hamburg Observatory in Germany. The expedition worked on the international Southern Reference Stars program that resulted in a revised, larger and more accurate meridian catalogue of the Southern Hemisphere: the Perth 70 meridian catalogue. In 1970 Harris was successful in forming a dedicated Perth Observatory Meridian section to assist the German expedition in their work. After the German expedition left over the 1971/72 Christmas/New Year period, Harris successfully negotiated the loan of the Hamburg telescope indefinitely and obtained funding from the
Government of Western Australia The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government o ...
to increase the Meridian staff numbers. This Perth Observatory Meridian team continued and expanded on the German expedition work, resulting in the Perth 75 meridian catalogue. In 1967, Harris worked with the
University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
to install a telescope at the Observatory that was built and used by the University of Western Australia staff and students, as well as Perth Observatory astronomers. Harris then moved the astrographic telescope, which had been in storage since August 1963, to the new site after arranging its refurbishment; the telescope recommenced observations on 29 March 1968, taking second
epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...
photographic plates for
proper motion Proper motion is the astrometric measure of the observed changes in the apparent places of stars or other celestial objects in the sky, as seen from the center of mass of the Solar System, compared to the abstract background of the more dista ...
studies. In 1968, the
Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...
of Flagstaff Arizona USA, located a
Boller and Chivens Boller and Chivens was an American manufacturer of high-quality telescopes and spectrographs headquartered in South Pasadena, California. History Founded about 1946 by Harry Berthold Boller (1915-1997) and Clyde Cuthbertson Chivens (1915-2008). ...
telescope at the Perth Observatory as part of the
International Planetary Patrol Program The NASA International Planetary Patrol Program consists of a network of astronomical observatories to collect uninterrupted images and observations of the large-scale atmospheric and surface features of the planets. This group was established in 19 ...
. The program was designed to collect 35-mm format photographic data on the atmospheric and surface features of Solar System planets, mostly Mars, Jupiter and Venus; Harris was to be a regular observer outside his normal daytime Government Astronomer role. Harris was successful in increasing the technical and astronomical staff numbers at the new Bickley Perth Observatory as its role moved to that of more of a scientific function, however Harris also restarted the public tours on 23 October 1966 and maintained the provision of information services to Western Australia. Harris also continued
time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
and
tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide t ...
services for Western Australia, however as had been the case in 1908 for Meteorology, the move saw
seismic Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...
monitoring activities being relocated to Mundaring under the Commonwealth Government control. Harris was responsible for the August 1973
IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
Symposium No. 61 in Perth on "New Problems of Astrometry". Like his predecessor, he died at an early age, 49, but had raised the standing of the Perth Observatory to a well respected scientific institution within Australia and internationally.


Dr Iwan (Ivan) Nikoloff

With the death of Harris on 23 December 1974, Nikoloff was to act in the role of Government Astronomer of the Perth Observatory until 30 May 1979 when he officially became the fifth Government Astronomer of the Perth Observatory. After arriving in Australia in 1964, he commenced at the Perth Observatory as an Astronomer Grade II on 1 May 1964 and worked on the Observatory's
astrograph An astrograph (or astrographic camera) is a telescope designed for the sole purpose of astrophotography. Astrographs are mostly used in wide-field astronomical surveys of the sky and for detection of objects such as asteroids, meteors, a ...
; his previous experience also saw him set up and calibrate the recently acquired Zeiss plate measuring machine. With the relocation of the Perth Observatory from Perth to Bickley, Nikoloff's surveying skills were extensively used in setting up the new Observatory during 1965. Nikoloff worked with the German Hamburg Observatory
meridian circle The meridian circle is an instrument for timing of the passage of stars across the local meridian, an event known as a culmination, while at the same time measuring their angular distance from the nadir. These are special purpose telescopes moun ...
telescope expedition on the Perth 70 catalogue, from 1969 until 1971, before the expedition
astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
s returned to Germany that Christmas. In 1971, with funding by the
Government of Western Australia The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government o ...
and negotiations for the loan of the Hamburg telescope, Nikoloff was placed in charge of the newly formed Perth Observatory Meridian Section. Dr Nikoloff commenced a new observing program of FK4 and FK4 Supplementary stars that would result in the Perth 75 catalogue of 2549 stars. The catalogue not only extended the well revered Perth 70 catalogue, but provided valuable Southern Hemisphere information for the construction of the new FK5 reference frame sought by the international astronomical community. As Government Astronomer, Nikoloff passed on the Meridian Section to D. Harwood, but kept a keen involvement in the construction of the subsequent Perth 83 meridian catalogue. While daily administrative duties kept him busy, Nikoloff continued observing on all the Observatory's telescopes at night and on weekends. Nikoloff maintained a good relationship with the
University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
, was a Foundation member and Fellow of the
Astronomical Society of Australia The Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) is the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. Established in 1966, it is incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. Membership of the ASA is open to people "capable of contributi ...
, a life member of the Astronomical Association of Western Australia and a member of the
IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
's original Commission 8 (Astrometry) and I (Fundamental Astronomy); he also continued the Observatory's public information services and tours. He retired on 4 January 1985 and died on 8 April 2015.


Perth Observatory Directors

Upon the retirement of Dr I Nikoloff, the governing body of the Perth Observatory at that time, the
Department of Science and Technology (Australia) The Department of Science and Technology was an Australian government department that existed between November 1980 and December 1984. History The department was created by the Fraser Government, joining the Department of Productivi ...
, replaced the primary title of what was previously called the Government Astronomer, with the title of
Director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
Perth Observatory. The reason given was that the title of Government Astronomer "...''seemed antiquated to them''", it also reflected similar changes throughout the world with astronomical institutions merging with Universities.


Michael Philip Candy

With the compulsory retirement age still in place, after Dr I Nikoloff retired, Mr Michael Philip Candy became the first Director of the Perth Observatory. In 1969 Candy was offered the position of Director of the
British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers. Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...
, however declined due to his plans to emigrate to Australia that year. After arriving in Australia 12 May 1969, he commenced at the Perth Observatory as an ''Astronomer Grade II'' and in November 1969 took over the running of the Perth Observatory Astrographic telescope from Dr I Nikoloff. His numerical prowess, gained during his time at
HM Nautical Almanac Office His Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO), now part of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, was established in 1832 on the site of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG), where ''The Nautical Almanac'' had been published since 1767. HMNAO ...
, was to be a great asset in the astrometric programs of the Perth Observatory, as was his interest in comets. It took little time for Candy to position the Perth Observatory at the forefront of southern cometary astrometry. By 1972, the Perth Observatory was 9th in the world in producing cometary positions. Not content with this, Candy introduced new photographic glass plate processing practices to increase the limiting magnitude of objects achievable at that time from 14th to 19th. The new processes were to see the recovery of five comets and the positioning of the Observatory to 2nd place between 1973 and 1977 and 4th between 1978 and 1984, resulting in him being awarded the prestigious Merlin Medal of the
British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers. Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...
in 1975. Under his direction the Perth Observatory discovered over 100 new
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
s as well as contributing a significant number of observations to the
Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...
. He continued the first publication of the Perth Observatory on comet and minor positions, commenced by Mr B Harris, with Communication No. 2, 3, 4 and the last, that of Communication No. 5 in 1986. By 1979 his astrometric abilities and contributions were widely acknowledged and he became Vice President of
International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
, Commission 6, a position he held until 1982 when he was elected president for a 3-year term. At the same time became a working member of
International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
Commission 20 until 1988 – Positions and Motions of Minor Planets, Satellites and Comets. The Perth Observatory was positioned well for
Halley's Comet Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the o ...
in 1986/1987 and under Candy the Perth Observatory produced 10% of all Earth based astrometric positions for the comet, the largest contribution in the World. Candy was a councillor of the
Astronomical Society of Australia The Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) is the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. Established in 1966, it is incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. Membership of the ASA is open to people "capable of contributi ...
from 1988 to 1990, councillor of the
Royal Society of Western Australia The Royal Society of Western Australia (RSWA) promotes science in Western Australia. The RSWA was founded in 1914. It publishes the '' Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia'', and has awarded the Medal of the Royal Society of Western ...
between 1988 and 1990, and president of the
Royal Society of Western Australia The Royal Society of Western Australia (RSWA) promotes science in Western Australia. The RSWA was founded in 1914. It publishes the '' Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia'', and has awarded the Medal of the Royal Society of Western ...
in 1989 . He saw the most drastic staff cuts to the Observatory by the Government in 1987 with 50% of the staff redeployed and one whole section closed down. With the compulsory retirement age no longer in place, unlike his predecessor, Candy was able to continue working at the Perth Observatory on projects including the eclipsing binary FO Hydra, a comet hunter telescope, a new theory on comet origins and evolution, the analysis of the lost comet Gale, as well as comparison of a South Australian comet discovered in 1979 with that of a comet from 1770. In 1960 he discovered Comet Candy 1960n and was the first
Astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
to discover, as well as compute, a comets orbit from two more observations within 60 hours of its discovery. Mr M P Candy officially retired on 24 December 1993 and died 2 November 1994. His work was honored by the naming of Minor Planet 3015 Candy in 1980.


James D Biggs

Dr James D Biggs commenced at the Perth Observatory in May 1994 and resigned in 2010.


Ralph Martin (Acting)

After Dr J D Biggs resigned, Ralph Martin acted in the Directors position until on 22 January 2013 the WA Government announced that all research programs would be cut and the Observatory would only be open for tours. Martin and the remaining staff of the Perth Observatory took voluntary redundancy.


Earthquake records

As an
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
observatory in Perth a Milne-Shaw seismograph was utilised between 1923 and 1959 for the recording of earthquakes in Western Australia. After 1959 the earthquake monitoring was taken up by the Mundaring Geophysical Observatory.


New observatory at Bickley

In the 1960s, light pollution from the city of
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
and a small part of the implementation of the 1955 plan by Stephenson-Hepburn Report saw the land where the Perth Observatory resided make way for what was to initially be five government office blocks, however there was only one ever built,
Dumas House Dumas House is a fourteen-storey office building constructed in Perth, Western Australia, during the 1960s. The building is located close to St Georges Terrace, Kings Park, and Parliament House. Background Dumas House was part of the 1955 pl ...
. After nearly being closed by the State Government, the Observatory was moved to its current site at
Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead, London, Elmstead to the north, Chis ...
near Mount Gungin in the
Darling Range The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to th ...
. Construction of the new observatory cost $600,000, and it was opened by the Premier Sir David Brand on 30 September 1966.


Recent history

The Observatory has fought off several attempts to close the facility by the
State Government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
, the most serious being in 1987 when it was part of the Department of State Services. An outcry from the public, scientific and amateur communities was helpful in retaining the observatory. As of July 2015, The Perth Observatory Volunteer Group runs the Observatory under a community partnership agreement between the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group which was signed in June 2015.


Centenary 1996

In January 1996, the centenary of its foundation, the observatory was transferred to the Department of Conservation and Land Management, now part of the
Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia) The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...
.


Bickley Observatory heritage listed

In 2005 the Bickley site was heritage listed, being Australia's oldest continuing operating observatory and Australia's only remaining State Government operated astronomical observatory.


Publication

The ''Western Australian astronomy almanac'' was published in the 2000s by the DEC as part of the Observatory expertise, utilising staff of the Observatory to edit and contribute. The 2002 publication for the 2003 almanac had an extra subtitle which was not utilised in later editions: ''the really useful guide to the wonders of the night sky''. It had been preceded by ''Astronomical Data'' (1965–1990) and the ''Astronomical Handbook'' (1989–1992 ?).


Perth Observatory today

The
Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...
credits 29
minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
discoveries to Perth Observatory for the period between 1970 and 1999. On 22 January 2013 the Western Australian Government announced that all research programs would be cut and the Observatory would only be open for tours. As of 1 July 2015, the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group has been running the Observatory for the Western Australian Government, the Perth Observatory continues to operate today under the management of only 3 part-time staff and almost 120 passionate volunteers who work hard ensure its position as a scientific and heritage education facility. Each year more than 200 events are hosted at the Observatory which draw over 10,000 visitors. Further afield, star viewing events are held at remote sites in WA with the aim of providing a gateway to the universe for all in WA. irrespective of location. Collectively, the volunteers provide over 18,000 hours each year, comprising 6,000 hours of public events and a further 12,000 hours to developing volunteer training, preserving our heritage, administration and maintenance of our site.


Honors

The Florian asteroid 3953 Perth was named in honor of the observatory.


See also

*
List of astronomical observatories This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...


References


Publication

* ''Western Australian astronomy almanac''. Bickley, W.A. Perth Observatory. (2007 edition)


External links

* {{Authority control 1896 establishments in Australia Astronomical observatories in Western Australia Bickley, Western Australia Education in Western Australia Federation style architecture George Temple-Poole buildings Heritage places in Perth, Western Australia Minor-planet discovering observatories Tourist attractions in Perth, Western Australia West Perth, Western Australia State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Kalamunda